“First I must perform my vow,” returned Chenobi. “Listen, friend! I had a brother once who was very dear to me. Though we twain were the last of our race, yet were we happy, following the chase together, and waging a grim vendetta against the wolf-people. But by craft Nordhu the priest took my brother while I was absent from the city, and he died beneath the jaws of Rahee. When I knew what had befallen, I vowed before Ramouni that I would destroy the priest and Rahee, the sacred beast. Therefore, until my vow be fulfilled, I cannot go with you.” “Then let me help you!” the baronet cried. “I, too, have a debt against this same priest. Together we will accomplish his destruction and that of Rahee, then ye shall return with us to our own land.” “It is well,” returned the king, gripping Seymour’s hand; “we will dwell together as brethren hereafter.” Quickly the baronet communicated the gist of this conversation to his friends, who all expressed their pleasure at the idea. “We’ll have him stalking down Bond Street in patent leathers and a topper in three months,” jested Wilson. “If only he’s got a few pounds’ worth of treasure knocking around in that old city of his, he’ll be able to do the foreign ‘dook’ in style.” “I guess he’d take the shine outer some of your gilded West-Enders, anyway,” retorted the American; “he’s the finest figure of a man your humble ever struck. Say, Mervyn, looks to me as if you’ll have to postpone your visit to your pard, the parson, till we get a rope out of the old _Seal’s_ store-room. There don’t seem no way down these yer plaguey cliffs.” “We’ll complete the circuit of the crater, nevertheless,” answered the scientist; “there may be a place where descent is possible.” From the woods below a confused murmur arose. It was the voices of the creatures of the forest, blended by distance into one harmonious whole. The chattering of monkeys, the shrill screaming of parrots, and the melodious notes of other birds as they called to their mates, all had a part in that chorus. And ever and anon a joyous shout would ring upward from the beach, where a number of tiny figures raced to and fro amid the surf. Mere black dots they looked to the group on the crater rim, only to be discerned by careful observation and much straining of the eyes. They were the native children enjoying their early morning dip. “Makes you wish you could take part in thet little picnic,” drawled Silas. “I reckon a dip in the briny would be considerable refreshing at this yer period. The sun’s gettin’ a darn sight too warm to be pleasant.” “I was just thinking the same,” Mervyn said, “and since there appears to be no chance of descending to the lower ground without a rope, we may as well get back into the crater.”